


Whatever it takes

by CelestialMinCarnation



Series: We were there, but you were gone too soon [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AN AU WHERE PETER PARKER SURVIVED THE SNAP, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Grief/Mourning, IT IS PETER AND TONY, Irondad, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Soul Stone (Marvel), This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Vormir, With A Twist, hahahahahahaha, prepare tissues, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 20:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18667882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialMinCarnation/pseuds/CelestialMinCarnation
Summary: This idea is not mine, but i fell in love with it the moment i read this author's update!Don't worry, i've asked her for permission and she gave it!https://archiveofourown.org/works/18656941CHECK HER OUT! SHE'S AWESOME!!ALSO, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED AVENGERS ENDGAME!!!





	Whatever it takes

**Author's Note:**

> an AU that Peter survived the snap and it wasn't Natasha and Clint that went to Vormir but Tony and Peter.

_**The**_ father-son grimaced as they got out Quill's ship. They looked around the planet and stared at the high mountains that would lead them to the soul stone. 

 

"I'm just saying, this place is better than Titan," Peter commented, eyeing the mountain through his spiderman mask, the lenses squinting in a grimace.

 

"That's it, i'm revoking your time with Morgan," Tony said, his lips tugging upwards when Peter's mask retreated and revealing the horror at that thought.

 

"You have to admit, any place is better than Titan!," Peter argued as Tony shook his head, an amused smile lingering on his face as they started their journey up the cold mountain. The sound of repulsors rang throughout the empty place as Tony shot upwards. Peter rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "Show off," He murmured (which Tony retaliated with a  _i heard you!_ and Peter yelling back with a  _You were supposed to, Mr Stark!)_   before shooting a web at Iron Man's suit and using the momentum to swing himself to the very top, beating his mentor.

 

"Unfair," Tony grumbled as he landed next to his protege. They looked around the barren land, Peter slightly shivering from the cold air and Tony gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. They eyed the rocks that were arced inwards, like a nature-made door. Tony protectively pulled the boy closer to his body. He took a deep shaky breath.

"Let's just get this over with," Tony murmured and Peter nodded in agreement, for once silent when his spider-senses tingled softly at the upcoming danger. They approached the rocks, and emerged to an open space. Peter stared at the scenery with Tony looking around suspiciously. "Where is the-," He paused, looking down at his mentee who was still silent. 

"Mr Stark, this place is beautiful-," Peter breathed. Tony squeezed his shoulders and opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off when a deep voice resonated around the cliff they stood on. 

 

_"Tony Stark, son of Howard,"_

 

_"Peter Parker, son of Richard,"_

 

Tony protectively held out an arm over Peter's chest. "Who are you?," He asked, nervous as the floating figure approached them. Peter gasped at the face of the man. His whole face was sunken, his red skin wrapped tightly against his skull and his eyes were emotionless as he stared at the duo. "A lifetime ago, i , too, sought the stones.. i even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here, guiding others to a treasure i cannot possess," He answered as he hovered above the rock nearest to Tony and Peter. The duo shared a look. 

"Where is it?," Tony demanded, aiming his repulsor at the keeper. Peter raised his fists in an attempt to look intimidating, his face hard but his eyes showed the unease that came from his spiked spider senses.

"To ensure that whatever possesses it understand its power, the stone demands a sacrifice," The keeper answered and bowed his head in resign. 

"What sacrifice-," Tony paused when Peter stepped back from him. He turned to the boy. "Kid?," He asked, anxious when he saw the look in Peter's eyes. "Sir, Thanos came here with his daughter, but he left with the stone and without her..," Peter murmured, already connecting the dots. Tony stared at him, realization took over his facade and pain followed after. They stared at each other.

"In order to possess the stone, one must sacrifice his loved one," 

 

 

 

 

 

The duo stood far from the edge of the cliff, in total silence as they contemplated what to do next. Tony stared at his feet, sitting down on a rock. His mind travelling to his wife and daughter, both that are waiting for him back at home. For  _both Peter and him._ He thought of May Parker, who was unfortunate enough to lose her life to the decimation and how distraught Peter had been when he had realized that his aunt was gone, along with his best friends.. And Tony had sworn that he would get them all back for  _Peter._ Anger bubbled inside of him and he wanted to scream at the world for being unfair, but the acceptance came, just when Tony had saved New York by flying the nuke into the wormhole or when Tony had fought Thanos and the titan had drove a knife into him. He looked up to Peter, who was staring at him and for once in his life, he could not read the young vigilante's face. 

"Do you think he lied, Mr Stark?," Peter asked, and Tony could not pinpoint the emotion in his tone. 

"There's evidence to what he had claimed, Underoos," He murmured and at that nickname, Peter's face confronted into pain. "You know what's going to happen right?," The kid asked, his voice breaking. Tony stood and walked right up to the shaking boy. "Definitely. You'll take care of them right? Pepper'll need you. Morgan'll need you-," Tony's rambling cut off when Peter grabbed his arm and pulled him into a hug. Tony froze, but carefully enveloped the crying boy in his arms. He sighed, letting his tears roll down his cheeks and he leaned his cheek against Peter's hair. He moved to pull away, but Peter tightened his hold. "Mr Stark- I love you. Send my love to May, Ned and the others-,"

Peter pulled away, and Tony stared at his face in shock. He finally drew the emotion in Peter's eyes.  _Acceptance._ His face hardened, and he raised his repulsor towards the boy. "You're not going to replace me,kid," He seethed and shot the blast right at Peter's chest, sending him across the cliff and colliding against the wall of rocks. Peter wheezed, rolling onto his side, as he blearily watched the man approach the edge. "NO!," He screamed, hastily rising onto his feet and shooting his webs as they wrapped around Tony's legs.

 

"Hey!," Tony yelled and Peter tugged. Tony fell onto his chest and his breath got knocked out of him. He moved to cut the web but a surge of electricity shock him as he spasm. Peter hovered over him, face streamed with tears as he shot webs after webs at Tony's whole body messily. "Kid-," Tony pleaded but the spiderkid only stared at him. "FRIDAY, activate  ** _Whatever it takes_** protocol," Peter ordered and Tony froze when he realized that his suit had shut down. "What the- when?," He asked, staring at the kid with clear betrayal and desperation in his eyes. 

"I have a lot of tricks up my sleeves, Mr Stark-," Peter chidded, his eyes filled to the brim with tears that he refused to shed and a cheeky smile spread across his lips. Tony closed his eyes for a second, and opened them to see the kid staring at him with a haunted look in his eyes. "Kid,  _please_ don't do this. What about Morgan? Pepper? May? Ned- Please," Tony begged and saw that the kid had clenched his fists as he looked away. Tony sobbed, feeling the betrayal that he never expected from the boy. 

And it pained him that the one person he never expected betrayal from was the one he had loved the most.

Peter looked at him and there were tears that accompanied his sad smile. Tony craned his neck as he watched Peter approach the ledge. The kid turned to him and threw his mask right beside Tony's head. "Karen, activate  ** _I'm sorry_** protocol," He whispered. Peter stared at Tony and then closed his eyes, he leaned backward and he was falling.

 

_"ARGH!,"_

 

Peter's eyes snapped open and realized he was dangling on the ledge, a hand wrapped tightly around his slacked wrist. He looked up, eyes meeting Tony's desperate ones. Peter realized vaguely that Tony had grabbed him after escaping from the webs, but seeing as the billionaire was struggling to hold his weight with only one hand, he realized that Tony had only the arm that is holding him free. "Peter, come on, kid. Climb- We'll do something! We'll figure it out!  _Please. No_ ," Tony begged and Peter stared at him.

" _D_ _ad,_ It's  _okay._ i'm not afraid," Peter soothed. Tony looked at him and his tears fell against Peter's face. "No,  _please_ ," He begged. He raised his head. "Somebody help! Please!-," Tony begged, screaming for anyone to hear him. 

_(Please save my kid. Please save him. Please, i beg of you. Pleasepleaseplease-)_

 

"Tony, it's okay," Peter smiled through his own tears. "Let me go, Dad," He added, feeling Tony's grip around his wrist weakening. Tony looked at him. "Peter, no.. I love you-," Tony pleaded and that's what all Peter needed to hear as he kicked the rocks and breaking Tony's hold. He stared at the man as he fell with a smile on his face. 

 

There was everything, and then, there was nothing.

 

( _"PETER!!!!,")_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony woke up with water all over him. He gasped as he shot upwards, realizing that he was not on the mountains. The planet itself looked calm, and warm with the beautiful purple-ring moon in the background. Tony looked around, sobs wracking his throat when he realized that Peter was no where to be seen and his eyes laid rest on Spiderman's mask next to him. He reached for it, but something rested in his hand in the water. He lifted it up, and another sob left his throat at the sight of the beautiful soul stone gleaming in the dim lights. He pulled it towards his chest, along with the mask and screamed in agony. The sound rippled throughout the beautiful planet. 

 

Beautiful, just like Peter Parker had been.

 

_(Mr Stark, this place is beautiful-,")_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the heroes returned to their timeline, they were looking at each other with smiles on their faces. The smiles wiped off when they realized they were short in number and Tony had fallen onto his knees, cradling the soul stone and mask to his chest as he sobbed. The others were surprised at the blatant show of emotions that the billionaire never liked to show but they were more curious (and dreading) about the whereabouts of the young vigilante. 

"Tony, where's Peter?," Natasha asked into the tensed atmosphere. 

 

Tony shook his head as he cried, and that was answer enough for the heroes.

 

 

 

 

 

"We can bring him back," Thor argued as Tony stared at the stone and the spiderman mask in his hands, refusing to hand the stone over to Steve. They sat at the dock by the lake, the mood was tensed.

"We can't. A soul for a soul, that was the sacrifice," Steve said and Tony clenched his fist around the stone. "He's just a kid," Tony said for the first time since he arrived. Natasha carefully rest his hand on his shoulder and the hero sighed. "We can turn back the time, and save the kid! We can use the stones- anything," Bruce argued but Clint shook his head.  "It doesn't work that way. Peter's death- it's permanent," Clint said and Tony stood up abruptly. He stared at the rippling water silently. 

"Tony?," Rhodey asked carefully. Tony looked down on the stone and the mask.

"Karen, activate  ** _I'm sorry_** protocol," Tony echoed as he put down the mask in the middle of the resting place. 

 

_"I'm sorry protocol activated,"_

 

 

They watched in awe as a light flickered from the lenses of the mask, forming a hologram above the mask. Tony's breath hitched as Peter came to life, bounding over from somewhere.

 

 _"HOLY SHIT, it worked! OH my God, Mr Stark would be proud. Wait, bad mouth! Morgan'll hear you, Peter.  TAKE THAT, NED!,"_ The excited smile on Peter's face slipped off when he realized he had mentioned his dead best friend. Peter proceeded to stare at the camera, which unnerved Tony since it was as if the kid was staring at him (seeing as his hologram position was right infront of his mentor). Tony realized Peter was in Tony's garage back at his house.

 _"Oh yeah.. i had something to say, right,"_ Hologram Peter murmured. Then he smiled sadly. 

 _"Hi Mr Stark. I guess, if you received this, my idiocy - i quote from you- has finally ended my life-,"_ Peter laughed. Then he winced.  _"That was inappropriate. Sorry, Mr Stark-,"_

Tony couldn't help it. He reached out to touch the hologram, but his hand grasped at nothing.

_"I guess.. In all of my 22 years of life, i've experienced a lot of shit. I lost my parents. I lost Uncle Ben. I lost Aunt May. I lost Ned and MJ. i lost everyone i loved. It was like a curse, you know? Then, when i lost everything, you came Mr Stark. Now, i have Morgan. I have Pepper. I have **you.** You helped me a lot, and this curse.. i can't afford to lose you, Mr Stark.. I can't,"_

Tony's mouth dried as he sat down in a slump.

 

_"You know, when Mr Rogers dropped by with Mr Lang and Ms Romanoff, i knew that time was running out for the both of us. That's why i decided that if you're going to sacrifice everything you have here, i'll be there to stop that,"_

 

 

_("Uh, Mr Stark?," Peter asked in awe when Steve, Natasha and Scott stepped out of the car. He stood on the porch of their home, staring at the heroes while he called out for Tony who was holding Morgan by the yard. "I know, Pete- Take Morgan and get inside okay?," Tony said as he hurriedly pass his daughter onto Peter's arms. "O-Okay,")_

 

_(Tony stared at the picture he found on the shelves. A picture of him and Peter standing in front of the the SI sign. His heart ached when he was reminded that he could help Peter get his loved ones back. He moved to place the picture back. "Mr Stark? What are you doing?," Peter's voice reached his ears and he smoothly looked over his shoulder. Peter was standing by the counter, his eyes unreadable. "Nothing, kid,")_

 

_("You're not going to help in this-," Tony argued as the duo stood infront of the starks' home. Morgan and Pepper stood by the door, waiting to say goodbye to Tony (and Peter). "You're trying to get everyone back. I want to help. End of discussion," Peter said as he slid into the car. Tony was seething with both worry and anger but Peter had already gone into the car and stuck his head out of the window. "Bye, Morg! Bye Pepper! Love you both!," He yelled. Tony looked at his wife and daughter who gave him fond smiles. "Bye, Peter. Bye Tony. Stay safe, and i love you both," Pepper said. "Bye Pete! Bye daddy! Love you guys, three thousand!," Morgan said cheerfully)_

 

_"It didn't take long for me to figure out that the soul stone demands a sacrifice when Ms Nebula said her sister had gone to vormir with Thanos but returned with only the stone. I knew you're going to give up your life for that stone, but i won't let you. So i installed that new protocol so you won't be stupid enough to use your suit against me to save my ass and sacrifice yours. After all, what more can i lose?,"_

 

Tony's whole body shook with his tears and Rhodey let his hand rest on his shoulder. 

 

 _"If -When- you get everyone back, take care of May, Ned and everyone else. Look out for the little guys, hm?-,"_ Hologram Peter's eyes brimmed with unshed tears.  _"i'm terrified, Tony. But i'm ready. Tell May i'll look after her from.. where ever i am. Tell her to move on with life. Get married, or what ever. Tell her not to blame you. And if you show this to her, i guess.. May, don't hate Mr Stark. Please? For me. Live on, for me- I love you, aunt May. Thank you for everything. And i'm sorry,"_

_"And **dad?** Be the best father to Morgan. Be the best husband to Pepper. Live your life till the end. If you suddenly show up to where i am right now, i'm disowning you as my dad-," _Peter laughed through his tears.  _"-I love you, dad. Live your life, for **me** ,"_

 

The hologram died, and part of Tony's heart with him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_("Did it work? Did the stones work?,")_

 

 

 

 

_("You could not live with your failure. And where did that take you? Back to me,")_

 

 

 

_("I am inevitable,"_

 

 

_"i.. am... Iron man,")_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_("i'm sorry, May,"_

 

_"Y-You- You promised you'll protect him! How could you?! It should have been you! Should-,")_

 

 

 

 

 

The funeral was private, by the lake. 

 

Tony stayed at the back with the rest of the heroes as he watched May Parker mourned over his nephew with Peter's best friends. His eyes landed on Morgan who stood by Pepper next to the distraught last living Parker. His daughter was crying into Pepper's legs and his heart broke at the little sobs escaping his daughter's lips. 

("Mommy, i want Petey back-I want my big brother back,") 

 

Eventually, he watched as May Parker pulled his daughter into her embrace and soon Ned and MJ joined her on the ground. There was no body to bury, as Tony stared at the memorial for Peter in the middle of the dock. It was going to stay there, forever. The funeral flowers laid underneath multiple pictures of Peter Parker and his cherished things, The spider man mask laid right beside a picture of a beaming boy. A roof hung over the memorial, and Tony knew. It will stay there until the end of time. Until life moves on. Until Morgan grows old and dies. 

But Peter Parker would never get to witness that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I don't blame you," 

 

Tony wasn't surprise, as he stood in front of the memorial. No one was there, except for him and May. "So, don't you blame yourself. You took care of him in my absence. You gave him hope, a new family. I don't blame you, so you shouldn't," May continued. Her eyes were red but her face showed acceptance. Tony looked at her. 

"It was supposed to be me," Tony said and May nodded.

"I know, i saw the footage," May said tiredly. 

 

"i'm so-,"

 

"Don't. Peter wouldn't want this," She cut him off sternly. Her face softened when she looked at the scar Thanos had left Tony for the rest of his life; the shattered right arm which he had used to wield the gauntlet is now gone, replaced by a prosthetic arm. She rest her hand against the plastic and leaned forward, kissing Tony's cheek. "He wants you-  _us -_ to move on and we have to respect that. Don't blame yourself for his sacrifice and don't waste your life with all the what-ifs. Don't insult him like that. Don't let his death go in vain,"

 

"Funny, because i should be the one comforting you. Not the other way around,"

 

"Tony, i mean it. Don't delve yourself in the past and move on- and maybe, you  _-the both of us-_ can rest now,"

 

Tony took a deep breath, as he stared at Peter's beaming face. 

 

"You can rest now, because i will. I will take care of everyone, Pete. I will rest. So should you,"

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> How was it?
> 
> also, this is actually not a part of the actual series of Post Avengers Endgame.
> 
> HAHAHA,i dont knw why im torturing myself. smh


End file.
